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Monday, Nov 28, 2005
through the espers
"The song is Nico's, taken from her Desertshore album, one of the most distantly lonesome records in existence. And though structurally "Afraid" has little whatsoever to do with any of the U.S./UK folk-rock traditions that are typically Espers' stock-in-trade, its icy melancholia nevertheless fits itself perfectly into the Philly group's haunted wheelhouse. Unsurprisingly, Espers have chosen to re-forest the original's spare John Cale arrangement with their requisite cello, recorder, guitar, and chimes. But while Meg Baird's tranquil vocal significantly sweetens Nico's more monotonic plainchant, the cryptic instructions of the song's lyrics ("Confuse your hunger/ Capture the fake/ Banish the faceless/ Reward your grace") stir the branches with an unsettling wind. Despite the intrinsic warmth of Espers' hazy instrumental smoke-rings, as with all their most riveting performances the song is underpinned with a chilled, forlorn yearning only born of solitude. You are beautiful and you are alone."
i got your number
"Jenny Lewis is a singer and a songwriter from Los Angeles, California. She’s got hair the color of a Pacific sunset, a voice as sweet as an ice cream cone, and a wit sharper than a razorblade. Most days (and nights) you can find Jenny Lewis singing and playing with Rilo Kiley, a glorious quartet whose third album, 2004’s More Adventurous, has charmed and delighted fans and peers worldwide. 2005 alone saw Rilo Kiley garner accolades from heroes (Elvis Costello), magazine covers by the fistful, and a spot opening for Coldplay on their recent sold-out arena tour. But in the tiny moments between the stage and the studio, after the photo shoots but before the bars, Jenny spends time by herself, daydreaming and strumming on her acoustic guitar. And the sound of that time alone is Rabbit Fur Coat, Jenny’s first solo album and one of the most bewitching and intoxicating discs of music you’ve heard in years."
canadian charm
i am also endorsing sarah harmers near future twang.
i heart joanna
"Onstage at the ICA, Joanna Newsom cuts a singular figure. Playing songs from her Milk-Eyed Mender LP, she blends a delicate, deranged voice with lapping harp technique and otherworldly charm. Newsom and other breakthrough artists like Devendra Banhart are the tip of an emerging New Weird America scene."